Gears of War 3 Gets Release Date and Trailer

New weapons and equal opportunities arrive in the third instalment of the Gears of War series.

We all knew it was coming, even before Microsoft accidentally let it slip, but Gears of War 3 has been officially announced, and it brings with it new weapons and shows female COGs for the first time. Epic's design director, Cliff Bleszinski, called the game "the worst kept secret in the video game industry," during his appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night, and then went on to say:

"When we released Gears of War more than three years ago, we set out to tell the world an unforgettable story of bravery and sacrifice in the face of insurmountable odds, and a year from now, players will get the chance to experience the final chapter in the story of Marcus Fenix and his companions in Delta Squad."

The trailer shows Marcus Fenix using a double-barrelled shotgun, and shows a female COG for the first time, which Bleszinski confirmed via twitter was Anya, taking a much more active role than she has in previous Gears of War games.

Gears of War 3 will be released on Xbox 360 on April 5th 2011, in North America and Asia, on April 7 in Japan then April 8 in Europe and all other countries.